The Fall foliage in the Mt Hood National Forest and in the orchards of the Hood River Valley will not disappoint leaf peepers

Seems a little early, and we may still get the “Indian Summer”, but it sure feels like fall.  Still harvesting fresh peaches and blueberries for the cream cheese filled french toasts and blintzes as the apple and pear harvest has begun.  And the Farmer’s Almanac predicts snow the first week of October for us here in Parkdale! 

So get out and enjoy this last bit of summer and our amazing fall.  We are blessed with the vibrant fall colors splashed against a backdrop of evergreen stands in the Mt Hood National Forest.

And remember.  Stay midweek, Sunday through Thursday, now through October for a rate of only $125.  That’s right, any room, any midweek night, for just $125.  This includes all lodging taxes and of course a hearty Hood River Valley Bounty Breakfast.

Enjoy the quiet in the Upper Hood River Valley from your suite at the Old Parkdale Inn

There’s no better way to kick off this season’s Oregon Bounty than riding the rails on the Mount Hood Railroad’s Friday Night Wine Trains, spending a quiet evening or two at the Old Parkdale Inn and awake to a hearty Hood River Bounty breakfast.  The Wine Trains will prove to be a vintage railroad experience combined with premier local food and wine.  Starting September 3rd and running every Friday through the end of October the railway experience serves a variety of wines from the night’s featured local winery, including limited production and reserve wines from each.  While in route, you’ll enjoy a delicious and freshly prepared boxed-meal from Celilo Restaurant, Travel Oregon’s Featured Columbia River Gorge Restaurant.  Your personal host will select a pairing for your meal or you are welcome to taste one of the many winery selections.
After breakfast the next morning, we invite you to create a truely memorable culinary experience by enjoying the many Columbia River Gorge Fall Events featured on the Hood River County Fruit Loop.   Please drink responsibly.  We can even arrange to shuttle you back to the inn at the end of your evening on the train.

The Hood River Valley produces over 40 varieties of apples and 30 varieties of pears

The Gravenstein apple is considered by many to be one of the best all-around apples with a sweet, tart flavor and is great for baking and cooking, especially for apple sauce and cider.  

The Gravenstein Apple harvest represents the kickoff of the annual Hood River Valley harvest.  Thousands of acres of apples and pears will be harvested for the next two months, providing over 40 varieties of apples and 30 varieties of pears.

From September through October take advantage of our Fall Midweek Special, Any Room, Any Night, Sunday through Thursday just $125.  This rate includes all lodging taxes and of course a bountiful breakfast.  Visit the farm stands and wineries of the Hood River Valley

A Hood River Valley View from Panorama Point

Our guests this past week brought their bikes and enjoyed biking the Hood River County Fruit Loop and the many backroads of the Hood River Valley.  After a hearty breakfast they left the Old Parkdale Inn and traveled down Highway 35 toward Hood River, detouring off onto a few of the many backroads, cruising through the orchards, stopping along the way to take in some spectacular views.

After lunch at Full Sail Brewery in Hood River they headed back up the valley on Hwy 281 which climbs back up to Parkdale through the hills on the west side of the Valley. 

The Fruit Loop drive is a 35 mile scenic drive through the valley’s orchards, forests, farmlands, and friendly communities but you could easily extend or shorten your ride. I found a website that should be very helpful planning your route. ridewithgps.com is a ride sharing and route analysis tool and has many proven routes.

Let the Old Parkdale Inn be your home base while you explore your many biking options through the Valley, the Columbia River Gorge, or around Mt Hood.  There are plenty of mountain bike trails, too.

A great way to spend a warm afternoon on the White Salmon River

Summer is here and fall is just around the corner.  Time to get out a play.  Hiking, biking, windsurfing, rafting and golf.  We have all this and more in the Hood River Valley, the Columbia River Gorge and the Mt. Hood National Forest, all just minutes from the Old Parkdale Inn.

It’s river rafting season!  The White Salmon River, just across the Columbia in Washington, beckons you with rapid water and beautiful views.  We have partnered with Wet Planet and Zooler’s Outdoor Odyssey, raft companies that run the river, and can offer discounts on rafting adventures down the White Salmon and the others they run in the area.  What are you waiting for?  Summer will be over before you know it.  Reserve today at the Old Parkdale Inn and take advantage of our Fall Special.  Book any room, any day, mid week, now through October for just $125.  That includes all lodging taxes and of course a bountiful Hood River Valley Breakfast.

Elliot Glacier Brew Pub, celebrating 13 years in Parkdale

Elliot Glacier will be celebrating its 13th anniversary!!   Enjoy music at the pub on Sunday August 15th begining @ 3pm

Laurie Star Duo will be performing out back in the warm, warm sunshine!   If you’ve never sat behind the Brew Pub with a cold one, gazing at majestic Mt Hood, well, you just don’t know what you’re missing!  It’s going to be a beautiful warm, if not hot, weekend in the Hood River Valley and we have two rooms available Sunday night at the Old Parkdale Inn.  Mention code word “brew” and receive $10 off your stay.

Apple and Pear Harvest will begin around the end of August

Be spontaneous.  Check our availability calender for Last Minute Specials for the rest of August.  Then from September through October take advantage of our Fall Midweek Special, Any Room, Any Night, Sunday through Thursday just $125.  This rate includes all lodging taxes and of course a bountiful breakfast.

Visit the fruit stands and wineries mid week in the Hood River Valley and experience all that the Hood River County Fruit Loop venues have to offer with less crowds.

Rasmussen's Farm has over 60 varieties of Sunflowers in bloom through the month of August

Van Gogh Days at Rasmussen’s Farm.   With over 60 varieties of Sunflowers this is the perfect opportunity to paint, cut, take photos and enjoy the many colors of summer in the fields of sunflowers at Rasmussen’s Farm. 

We would love to accommodate your painting or photography club here at the Inn.  After spending some time at Rasmussen’s we will gladly share with your group some awesome spots to sketch or shoot majestic Mt Hood.  And then there are the gardens of the Old Parkdale Inn.  A special place to place your easel, sip on a glass of wine, and end your day.

Beat the weekend crowds and plan a midweek stay.  Visit our online availability calendar for Last Minute Specials in August.

Set here for breakfast, this table seats up to 10 with plenty of room for your meeting agenda

The Old Parkdale Inn, in the Hood River Valley, can be the ideal location for your small business meeting or social retreat.  Our table can seat up to eight with plenty of room to spread out.  Wireless internet access is available throughout the inn and gardens.  A 50″ wall mounted big screen tv is available for your presentation.  Our gardens or the nearby lakes and trails in the Mt. Hood National Forest provide the ideal environment for group leisure activites or individual meditation and reflection.

Should you choose to make it a multi-day retreat we can sleep up to 8 and have nearby accommodation connections if more is needed.  We’ll provide a full breakfast each morning plus a snack bar stocked with beverages, coffee, cookies and candies.  We can also prepare an afternoon lunch or snack.  Whatever you might need.

Tilly cooling off in Laurance Lake

We love our Tilly.  She is by my side pretty much 24/7.   She hikes with us and follows us around the yard.  We watch her very closely on these hot summer days and try to get her to the lake a few times a week.  I like it, too!  Here are a few tips to keep your Tilly’s safe this summer:

• Never leave your pet in a car when you travel or do errands. During warm weather, the inside of your car can reach 120° in a matter of minutes, even if you’re parked in the shade. Dogs and cats can’t perspire and can only dispel heat by panting and through the pads of their feet. Pets left in hot cars even briefly can suffer from heat exhaustion, heat stroke, brain damage, and can even die. To avoid any chance that your pet will succumb to the heat of a car this summer, leave your pet cool at home while you’re on the road. And if you do happen to see a pet in a car alone during the hot summer months, alert the management of the store where the car is parked. If the owner does not return promptly, call local animal control or the police department immediately.
• Pets need exercise even when it is hot, but extra care needs to be taken with older dogs, short-nosed dogs, and those with thick coats. On very hot days, limit exercise to early morning or evening hours. Keep in mind that asphalt gets very hot and can burn your pet’s paws.
• Another summertime threat is fleas and ticks. Use only flea and tick treatments recommended by your veterinarian. Some over-the-counter flea and tick products can be toxic, even when used according to instructions.
• Pets can get sunburned too, and your pet may require sunscreen on his or her nose and ear tips. Pets with light-colored noses or light-colored fur on their ears are particularly vulnerable to sunburn and skin cancer.
• Don’t take your pets to crowded summer events such as concerts or fairs. The loud noises and crowds, combined with the heat, can be stressful and dangerous for pets. For your pet’s well being, leave her at home.

  If your pet is exposed to high temperatures:

• Be alert for signs of heat stress-heavy panting, glazed eyes, a rapid pulse, unsteadiness, a staggering gait, vomiting, or a deep red or purple tongue.
• If your pet becomes overheated, you must lower her body temperature immediately.
• Move your pet into the shade and apply cool (not cold) water all over her body to gradually lower her temperature.
• Apply ice packs or cool towels to your pet’s head, neck, and chest only.
• Let your pet drink small amounts of cool water or lick ice cubes.
• Finally, take your pet directly to a veterinarian-it could save her life.